Process of making storage-battery electrodes.



l' on rran slTAlliES E, Nl'li i JERSEY, AS-

COMBAIX'Y, OF WEST ORANGE,

JERSE- PROCESS OF MAKING STORAGE BAXTTERY ELEGTHOQES.

Specification of Letters l aten't.

Patented. May 21, 1907.

Application filed rch 30,1905. Serial No. 252,930.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be known that I, Tnoams ALVA EnisoN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Llewellyn Park, Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain. new and useful Process of Making Storage-Battery Electrodes, o1 whiclji the following is a description.

In an application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed on even date l'ierewith, Serial No. 252,929, I describe an improved storage battery electrode and several processes for making the same. The electrode in question is composed of a spongy or honeycomb integral mass of metallic cobalt or cobaltmickel alloy, formed by subjecting a somewhat loosely assembled mass of flakes, l oils or films thereof to.a welding temperature, the active material being subsequently introduced within the porous coruhlcting structure by successive innnersions in a satu rated solution of the active niatorial followed by alternate evaporations to drive oil the solvent.

My present application is designed to describe and claim one of the specific processes generally referred to in said application, and which, owing to the economy and facility with which it may be carried out practically, may be regarded as the preferred cin'imcrcial process. Tothis end, and having in mind, the mechanical construction of the electrode disclosed in my patent No. 704,305 of July 8, 1902, I proceed substantially as follows: I first obtain scales, flakes, films or foils ol cobalt or of cobalt-nickel alloy, secured in any suitable way, such as by electro-deposi tion, as I have described in my concurrent application, Serial No. 252,932 and which has been carefully annealed below the welding temperature in an inert gas, such as hydrogen. The two pocket sections are now engaged together as described in said patent, and securely held by crimping the edges of the outer section around the inner section. The upper end of these pockets is, however, not closed, but is left open like a sheath, so that opportunity is o'l'l'cred for introducing material into each pocket through the open mouth. thus presented. The metallic lakes or foils are now introduced Within the pocket in any suitable wa such as through. a vibrating screen, under which are assembled a great I'lll'll'lbQI of pockets, the amount introduced at each operation. being carefully regulated. and. a definite and imitli'orm tampirg' pressure being applied alter each more-- merit has been added so as to secure substantial equality as to the amount of the conducting mate 'ial introduced. into each pocket and as to the porosity of the same throughout the entire mass. Unilormity in this respect will be also more nearly secured by his t screening the metallic films, so that the same shall present bodies of approximately the same size. hen the pocket or receptacle has been. thus loosely filled with'the conducting "films or flakes, the pocket or receptacle is closed at its upper end and intro- (luced within. the supporting grid or other holder for the same. The grid carrying a se rics of pockets is now subjected to a welding temperature in a hydro '1. atmosphere, resulting in. the flakes hhns being welded together and to the walls ol. the inclosing pockets, the sections of the latter being also welded together. As a result of this opera tion I. obtain witl'iin each pocket a line, quite solj't, pithy readily compressible, spongd like or honeycomb mass of insoluble metal or alloy, presenting innumerable cells, all connected together, and in bulk occupyonly a .l'raction of the available space .inclosed by each pocket and cl? such a character as to make good contact with. the active material. The active material is now introduced withinthe sponge-like mass in any suitable way, as, [or example, by dipping the ele les successively in a saturated. solution c the active material with alternate evapcrations so as to deposit the active material in layers witl'un the many cells, as I describe in my said concurrent application, Serial No. 252,929.

l l aving now describe (1 my invention, what I clain'i as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1.. The process of making alkaline storage battery electrodes which. consists in intro ducing within a perforated electrode pocket,

elv packed mass of substantially insolu- .lic flakes, scales or foils, and in then 5.1 ting the same to a weldiig t mperature to secure integrality their 1, as and for the purposes set forth. r m.

.uc process 01'' making storage batteryelectrodes, which consists in introducing loosely packed mass of cobalt-nickel flakes, within a perforated electrode pocket a loosely fihns or foils, and in then subjecting the same packed mass ol flakes, foils or scales contztinto a Welding temperature to secure-integraling nietallic'cobzilt, and in then subjecting the ity thereof, as and for the purposes set forth. same to a Welding temperature to secure in This specification signed and witnessed 15 tegrality thereof, as and forthe purposes set this 29th-day of March 1905. forth. THOMAS A. EDISON.

3. The process of making storage battery electrodes, which consists in introducing 10 within the perforated electrode pocket at FRANK L. DYER,

] Witnesses:

i ANNA R. KLnI-IM. 

